This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 10(1998)-368677 filed on Dec. 25, 1998, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to a seat device. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a seat device in which a walk-in mechanism is provided for resuming a predetermined seat position after adjusting the seat position upon passengers entering or exiting the rear seat in cooperation with seat reclining forward adjustment of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion.
Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (Kokai) No. H07 (1995)-81469 discloses a seat slide device for sliding the seat device back and forth on a vehicle floor, a lock plate for holding the seat device in the adjusted position on the floor by engaging the seat slide device with the lock plate, a release lever for releasing the engagement between the lock plate and the seat slide mechanism through operation of the release lever, and a hold member for controlling the operation of the release lever through engagement with the release lever when the lock plate engages the release lever.
The hold member includes a cantilever spring for causing the hold member to engage with the release lever. By bending the cantilever spring, the hold member can be disengaged from the release lever. However, the cantilever spring generally has a wide distribution of spring force characteristics. Also the spring force characteristics tend to degrade over time. This can bring about an unstable engagement overlapping portion and an unstable disengagement timing between the hold member and the release lever. As a result, it is very difficult to produce an accurate resumed seat position on the vehicle floor.
A need thus exists for a seat slide device for a vehicle which is not as susceptible to the drawbacks and disadvantages noted above.
In light of the foregoing, one aspect of the present invention involves a seat device for a vehicle that includes a seat slide device supporting a vehicle seat relative to the vehicle floor at a position that is slidably adjustable in a back and forth direction on the vehicle floor, a lock plate engageable with the seat slide device to hold the seat at a position on the vehicle floor, a release lever rotatably supported on the seat slide device for releasing engagement of the lock plate with the seat slide device to permit sliding movement of the vehicle seat, and a walk-in mechanism having a hold lever for engaging the release lever to control rotation of the release lever when the release lever engages the lock plate.
According to another aspect of the invention, a seat device for a vehicle includes a lower rail secured to the vehicle floor and an upper rail supporting a vehicle seat and slidably supported on the lower rail, a lock plate engageable with the upper rail to fix the upper rail with respect to the lower rail and hold the vehicle seat at a position with respect to the vehicle floor, a release lever rotatably supported on the seat slide device for releasing engagement of the lock plate with the upper rail to permit sliding movement of the vehicle seat, a spring secured to the upper rail to move the upper rail in a forward direction with respect to the lower rail when the engagement of the lock plate with the upper rail is released by the release lever, and a hold lever movable between one position in which the hold lever engages the release lever to prevent rotation of the release lever and another position in which the hold lever is out of engagement with the release lever to permit rotation of the release lever.